Methods, compositions and devices relate to photovoltaic cells having a photoactive layer and constituents synthesized and utilized for the photoactive layer. The photovoltaic cells incorporate photoactive materials produced from dyads formed into an initial layer and then thermally cleaved to provide the photoactive layer. Cleavage of the dyads, such as synthesized fullerene anthracen-2-ylmethyl 3-(thiophen-3-yl) acetate dyads, or polymers of the dyads into separate molecules providing donors and acceptors facilitates in obtaining the photovoltaic cells with desired arrangement and interspacing of the donors and the acceptors relative to one another.